Perceiving a specific wine in one’s glass

Wine is the most complicated chemical substance. Many elements within the substance have their own taste and aroma. However isolating key notes is quite difficult due to the elements constantly interacting with one another. These interactions cause a masking effect, wherein some notes are extremely noticeable and others are right below the threshold of noticeability yet alter elements around them.

Wine tasting is a multisensory process: wherein the tongue, nose, eyes and even ears take part. Tactile sensors of the mouth also play a role. All of this sensory information comes together in the brain to formulate a complete and whole picture of the experience. Our knowledge as well as previous experiences also all add into the shaping of the exact sensations we receive from each glass of wine.